Alison's POV
The sound of my boots echoed sharply down the hall as I marched toward Alpha Kendrick’s office. Each step felt like a storm building inside me, rising and intensifying with every stride. My heart thundered, not from fear, but from the burning fury I’d kept buried for far too long. Today, everything would change. I’d make sure of it. I threw open the door to Kendrick’s office. There he sat, calm as ever, his dark eyes narrowing as I stormed in. Standing by his side was his ever-loyal beta, Silas, who shot me a curious glance before Kendrick dismissed him with a cold wave of his hand. “Leave us, Silas,” Kendrick ordered, his gaze locked on me. Silas bowed and slipped out, the door clicking shut with a finality that seemed to trap us in this confrontation. My wolf, Maya, stirred inside me, her presence brimming with strength and fire. She and I had both waited long enough for this. Kendrick rose from his desk, his expression unreadable. But before I could say a word, he smirked. “I see you finally have your wolf, Alison. And I take it you've discovered the bond?” I clenched my fists, my body trembling with the effort it took to hold back the tidal wave of emotions crashing inside me. “You knew,” I spat, my voice laced with accusation. “You knew all this time that I was your mate. You let me suffer… let her humiliate me… and you did nothing.” He folded his arms, a hint of disdain tugging at his lips. “Watch your tone, little pup,” he warned, his voice dripping with condescension. “I don’t appreciate you raising your voice in my presence. Just because you got your wolf doesn't exactly mean we are equal” A bitter laugh escaped me. “Why? Are you afraid to hear the truth?” I took a step closer, eyes blazing with Maya’s intensity. “Why did you treat me this way, Kendrick? I’m your mate. I belong to you not Priya, yet you let her, of all people, trample all over me while you watched.” My voice cracked. “You’re even going to marry her tomorrow.” Kendrick’s expression darkened, and his gaze turned sharp as a blade. “Because, Alison,” he snapped, his voice rising, “I cannot be mated to a lowly servant like you, talk more of making you my Luna.” The words pierced through me, sharper than any blade. A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it, but I refused to let him see any more of my pain. “So it’s always been about status with you,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. “If I were someone important, you wouldn’t feel the need to… replace me. I thought this bond was meant to be sacred created by the moon goddess herself, how come you could so easily throw it away fir politics?” Kendrick’s lips curled into a cold, cruel smile. “I'm glad you finally understand, I cannot let some moon goddess's chess game ruin my packs chance of aligning with the strongest packs by marrying a slave” He leaned in close, his breath chilling against my skin. “That’s why, Alison, I hope you don’t mind, but I have to do this.” I took a step back, but Kendrick was faster. His grip shot out like a vice, his hand wrapping around my wrist, holding me in place. My heart pounded wildly as I felt Maya bristle, sensing what was about to happen. “I, Alpha Kendrick of the Silver Moon Pack,” he declared, his voice loud and resolute, “reject you, Alison.” It felt like I’d been struck by lightning. Pain exploded in my chest, radiating through every fiber of my being. Maya whimpered, her agony echoing through my mind. The rejection tore at us both, unraveling our bond thread by thread, each one a fresh wound that burned hotter than the last. My hand flew to my chest, clutching it as if that could stop the ache tearing me apart. Kendrick watched, his grip still tight around my wrist, his eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction. “I heard it’s excruciating,” he taunted, leaning closer still holding me in place. “The pain of being rejected by an Alpha. But I could make it easier for you, you know… if you beg. I might even keep you around as my little hidden concubine, beneath—” “Enough!” I gasped, summoning every last shred of strength I had. My voice was hoarse, broken from the pain, but the fire in my chest hadn’t dimmed. If anything, it blazed brighter. I forced myself to look into his eyes, to let him see that I would not be his plaything, his pawn, or his shadow. I would not beg. I would never give him that satisfaction. With one final breath, I gritted my teeth and said, “I, Alison… accept your rejection, Alpha Kendrick.” The moment the words left my lips, a sharp, blinding spark pulsed through our joined hands, breaking our connection. I felt it crackle, the severing bond snapping like a whip between us. It left a hollow ache, an emptiness, but it was over. The chains he’d bound me with were finally broken. Kendrick’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he stumbled back, his face twisting in anger as he realized what had happened. “No… No!” he roared, fury contorting his features. "What did you just do" he yelledXander's POV The ticking clock on the wall was relentless, each second winding down the last few hours before I’d have to step foot in the Silver Moon Pack territory, home to Alpha Kendrick and his soon-to-be Luna. I leaned back in my leather chair, loosening my tie slightly as my Beta, Luke, filled me in on our arrangements. He was pacing as he spoke, his voice steady and informative. "Silas has everything arranged for our stay," Luke reported. "We’re set for Alpha Kendrick’s engagement dinner and wedding. The Silver Moon Pack is, as always, pulling out all the stops.” I grunted in acknowledgment, more focused on an uneasy feeling that had been gnawing at me since morning. This whole engagement felt off to me. Kendrick and Priya... the union was more like a strategic front, a display of power and alliances, but there was something missing. And it served as another reminder that, at 25, I was still without a mate. Unlike Kendrick, I had no desire to force a bond that didn’t exist
Xander's POVI leaned back against the dark oak frame of the bed, my eyes fixed on the window as the late afternoon sun began to sink behind the Silver Moon Pack's towering gates. This pack house felt as cold and unwelcoming as any foreign territory, yet I hadn't come here for comfort. I was here to honor the alliance between all packs. But something else was making my pulse race, an unease that shook my usual calm.It was her. The girl I'd seen within the castle compound , her scent still lingering in my senses.From the moment I saw her... I'd felt a pull like nothing I'd known before. My wolf had been clawing at me, instincts screaming for me to find her, to mark her, to claim her as mine. But impulse had no place here, not when my wolf's howls nearly drowned out every sense of reasoning within me. She could already be with someone else, I reminded myself, trying to calm my wolf, Cain."She's ours," Cain growled, voice thick with longing. "You felt the bond, Xander. She's ours, an
Kendrick’s POVThe clinking of glassware and murmurs of conversation filled the dining hall, but my focus was razor-sharp, zeroed in on one thing: Alpha Xander’s unwavering gaze on Alison. Each time I looked his way, his eyes were fixed on her, tracking her every movement as she served the guests, her posture humble, head lowered. Irritation flickered in my gut. Xander’s stare didn't seem like casual curiosity; it held a possessive spark that I recognized all too well."The arrogance," I thought, narrowing my eyes. Dinner hadn’t even begun, and already he’d already began crossing a line. His eyes were too focused, too intense on something or rather, someone that wasn’t his to want.I raised my glass abruptly, cutting through the chatter around the table in a bid to divert his attention. “A toast!” I called out, my voice booming across the hall. Conversations died down as everyone turned their attention to me, lifting their glasses.“To new alliances and strong friendships between our
Alison's POVSitting at the edge of my cot, I hugged my knees close to my chest, exhaustion pressing down on every inch of me. The dim moonlight seeped through the cracks in the walls, casting shadows across my tiny room. Tonight had been chaotic. I’d served wine, cleared plates, and avoided the subtle stares of powerful Alphas and their Lunas. Yet, the one gaze I couldn’t escape, the one that had seared into me with an intensity I couldn’t shake was that of Alpha Xander.Pulling my tattered blanket closer, I felt a thrill spark in my chest. A giddy smile crept onto my face as I whispered softly to my wolf, Maya, “Tomorrow, Maya. Tomorrow, we’ll be free. Just one more night of this hell hole.”Maya stirred within me, her voice fierce and hopeful. “We’ve waited so long, Alison. Just a few more hours.”But before I could get lost in the thought of freedom, my door flew open with a loud bang, slamming against the wall. I jumped to my feet, heart racing. Standing in the doorway, framed by
I felt the weight of Alpha Xander’s gaze on me like a fire I couldn’t shake. The room was quiet now, the night’s festivities faded. But Xander, calm and intense, studied me as if every word I might say mattered, as if he truly saw me. I shifted on the edge of the couch, every part of me screaming to stand up and run.But Maya, my wolf, urged me to stay.“So,” Xander began, his voice soft but unyielding, “tell me more about yourself Alison.”I blinked, caught off guard. No one had ever asked me that, especially not an Alpha. The leaders I’d known always took from others just like Kendrick, hoarding respect without giving any. Xander was different, looking at me with genuine curiosity and patience. I glanced away, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks.“I don’t know what you want to hear but I’m no one important,” I murmured, my voice almost a whisper. A part of me didn’t want to tell him anything, fearing he’d see just how broken and small I felt. But there was something in his express
Xander’s POVThe morning was alive, pulsing with energy and promise, but a thread of tension tugged beneath my excitement. I adjusted the cuffs on my sleeves, feeling anticipation course through me like a live wire. Today would be the day, I'd finally bring Alison home as my mate, after the wedding ceremony I will take her back with me. But amid the thrill, an uneasy feeling settled in the back of my mind.I glanced at Luke, my Beta, as he straightened my jacket. “Did you take care of the dress I picked out for her?” I asked, my voice sharp, betraying the urgency simmering under my calm exterior.Luke hesitated just a fraction before nodding. “Yes, Alpha. She’ll be stunning.” His brow furrowed, and he shot me a questioning look. “But are you sure about bringing her to Alpha Kendrick’s wedding? She’s… well, given her position here at Silver Moon, it might attract the wrong kind of attention.”I felt a snarl build in my throat, my words coming out as a low, dangerous warning. “Never ref
Alison's Point of ViewA sharp, searing pain throbbed through my skull as I woke, my eyes fluttering open to the sight of cold, cracked stone below me. I tried to reach for my head, to touch the aching spot, but my hands were bound tightly to my legs, keeping me curled in a fetal position. A gag pressed against my mouth, rough and biting into the corners, muffling any sound I tried to make.I was trapped. Somewhere dark and damp, with a chill that seeped into my bones. The last thing I remembered was stepping out of my room’s bathroom, humming some tune in anticipation of the wedding I was invited to be Xander's plus one, my mind light and hopeful. Then… then something hard and cold had slammed into my head, and I’d blacked out. Now, here I was, waking up to what felt like a nightmare.I twisted, wriggling as much as I could against the ropes binding my limbs, panic clawing at my insides. This wasn’t some accident, someone wanted me here, bound and helpless. The thought of it made fea
Alison's POVA soft tickle grazed my cheek, stirring me awake. My eyes fluttered open to see Xander’s face close to mine, his familiar smile warming me instantly.“We’re here,” he murmured, his voice a gentle rumble. I blinked, still dazed from sleep, as he nodded toward the window. “Look outside, Ally.”I turned my head, my mouth dropping open at the sight beyond the glass. We were parked before an enormous castle, but this wasn’t anything like the dark, stoned fortress Kendrick called home. This castle was modern, gleaming with elegance and style, a masterpiece of towering spires, vast gardens, and pristine walls that caught the morning light like something from a dream. The air seemed lighter, free from the tension that always lingered around Silver Moon.“Wow,” I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away. “It’s… beautiful.”Xander’s hand gently touched my chin, bringing my gaze back to him. “Do you like it?”All I could do was nod, a genuine smile stretching across my face."Good,” h